as in moan
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the perennial whine that movies aren't as good as they used to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
for the whole of our vacation, the kids whined on and on about the weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whine
Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Conversely, there’s been a lot more whining and griping in the Southeast, where they got used to stockpiling elite recruits and beating people’s brains in.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
Noun
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
Zendaya's Rue thrives in her own weird little story, but Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) lacks a personality other than whining, Nate (Elordi) lacks a personality other than anger, and hyper-sexualized Maddie (Alexa Demie) lacks a personality other than blind ambition.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Conversely, there’s been a lot more whining and griping in the Southeast, where they got used to stockpiling elite recruits and beating people’s brains in.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whine
Noun
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Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Under Hiller, the Kings went into the Olympic break with a whimper and came out of it with a moan.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
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Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The fraud scheme netted $20 million from fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the complaint.—
Ryan Gaydos OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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After Navarro filed a complaint alleging the work had been wrongly kept from her, a Madrid judge, acting with the support of prosecutors, ordered Spain’s Ministry of Culture to take custody of it citing its potential importance to the country’s historical heritage.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One resident wakes up to a hooded stranger preparing to stab her and silently points them to her sleeping husband rather than scream.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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On the bright side for Smith, he's still getting paid millions to scream into a camera and show up courtside to stir drama.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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Though marking Jesus’ painful death, Good Friday ultimately points to Easter resurrection—transforming the day from lament to joy for believers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Its red, orange and yellow daisy-like blooms keep coming through the hottest months with almost no fuss — a strong choice for gardeners who would rather enjoy their yard than baby it.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
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The plants that earn their place in a hot-weather bed are the ones that keep blooming when the thermometer climbs, draw butterflies and hummingbirds without fuss and reward you with the kind of color that makes a morning cup of coffee on the porch feel like a small vacation.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These days, revenge literature arrives most often as a sordid memoir or roman à clef in which grievances are recounted, villainy exposed, and relevant facts set forth.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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Tensions have been fraught between the president and the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the list of grievances is long.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For Burnley, this season was always going to be a fight for survival — but going down with a whimper is not good enough.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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In this context, the Atlas II arrived with a whimper rather than a crash.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whine. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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